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The US Air Force says a B-52 bomber that had a near miss on a Delta flight across North Dakota on Friday was flying along the then-approved flight route.
The Air Force issued a statement Monday saying the Federal Aviation Administration is still investigating the incident. The B-52 bomber was in the air to carry out an elevated road at North Dakota State Fair.
The Air Force says the B-52 pilot was in contact with Minot International Airport and Minot Approach Control (RAPCON).
“Around 7:10pm before the flyover, the Crew of the B-52 contacted the Minot Approach (RAPCON) in preparation for the flyover. The required checklist was completed and the crew continued to make contact with the Minot Approach as they flew 12 miles east of the fairground.
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The B-52 Stratofortress made a near miss on a Delta Air Lines plane to North Dakota on Friday. (US Air Force/Airman Class 1 Victor J. Capto)
“The Minot Approach instructed the crew of B-52 to contact air traffic control at Minot International Airport at 7:43pm. The B-52 crew contacted the tower at Minot International Airport, and the tower provided instructions to continue the westbound two miles after the overpass.
The pilots of the Skywest Airlines flight, run by Delta Air Lines, have “actively operated” to avoid a collision with the B-52. The pilot then described the horrifying incident to passengers on audio that went viral on social media.
The flight was carrying passengers from Minneapolis to Minot.
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Delta pilots performed “aggressive manipulation” to avoid conflicts with military planes. (istock)
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed it was investigating the incident.
“Sky West Flight 3788 operates as a delta connection from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Minot, North Dakota on July 18th, and after cleared due to a tower approach, it safely landed in Minot, but departed when another aircraft became visible on the flight path.
“We are investigating the incident,” the spokesman added.
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The FAA is investigating near miss incidents involving Delta flights and a B-52 bomber. (istock)
The video posted on social media appeared to contain audio from the pilot explaining what happened to the passengers.
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“I don’t know how fast they are, given his speed… but they’re way faster than us, and I felt that was the safest thing to do with it on my back,” the pilot said in a video that has now become a viral.
“I’m sorry about the offensive manipulation. It surprised me,” he continued. “This is not quite normal. I don’t know why they didn’t give us heads up. There’s radar at the Air Force Base… The long story was fun, but not funny, but I’ll apologise.
Landon Mion from Fox News contributed to this report
Anders Hagstrom is a reporter for Fox News Digital, covering national politics and major broken news events. Submit your tip to anders.hagstrom@fox.com or via Twitter: @hagstrom_anders.
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